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Chapter 31
Chapter 31
“Nah, that’s too much work,” Kaia said.
Horace sounded let down. “Then hang up.”
Kaia rolled her eyes. “I’ve got something important to ask you.”
“You changed your mind?” Horace’s eyes lit up.
“No,” Kaia said, already getting speechless.
Bye then.” Horace’s smile faded, but he didn’t hang up. “What is it?”
55 vouchers
‘Here’s a tip–stop letting rich kids sneak in through connections. It makes the school look bad,” Kaia said.
Russell had told her his grandpa was a professor at Morganburg University and could get her in. Tobias had just said the same thing.
Horace didn’t get why Kaia cared, but he nodded. “You’re right. We can’t keep turning a blind eye. ust tells people it’s better to have connections than to work hard.”
He had someone handle it right away.
Soon, Twitter blew up with a trending post. [Morganburg University will now strictly check all admission qualifications.]
In other words, no more getting in through connections.
The news hit not just Morganburg but all of Wustriland like a bomb.
It
Morganburg University was notoriously hard to get into, full of geniuses. But every year, there were hree spots reserved for anyone who could pay enough. Now those spots were gone.
Tobias saw the headline and frowned. He’d just told Kaia he could get her into it. Now, that door was slammed shut.
He wasn’t the only one with a headache. Parents who’d been planning to pay or pull strings for their kids were suddenly scrambling, wondering what on earth had happened.
None of them knew it all started because of what Kaia had said.
Meanwhile, Andrea was staring at her phone with a grin.
She’d been worried her parents might try to pull strings to get Kaia into Morganburg University just to save face. Now, that worry was gone.
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Chapter 31
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In her mind, even a fool stood a better chance of getting into Morganburg University than Kaia.
*****
The SAT started on time. After the last test, Kaia walked out and spotted a Maybach parked across
the street.
She headed over. The door opened, and Tobias got out, holding an umbrella for her.
A few girls nearby stared, looking jealous. To them, Kaia was ridiculously lucky to have a hot guy waiting for her after the test.
Kaia overheard one girl mutter under her breath, “She’s probably been too busy dating to study. Be she bombed the SAT.”
Kaia laughed to herself. She was sure she’d nailed the top score. “When’d you get here?” she asked.
“I never left,” Tobias said, handing her a yogurt drink.
Kaia looked at the peach–flavored yogurt–her favorite. “Didn’t you say this store–bought stuff wasn’t healthy?”
“You like it, so it’s fine once in a while,” Tobias said.
Kaia took a sip, smiling in satisfaction.
Tobias kept watching her. She reminded him of a little kitten that had just eaten, looking softer and more girlish than usual.
When she finished, he reached out with his rough, calloused fingers and wiped the corner of her mouth. The touch sent a little jolt through her.
Kaia’s eyes widened, and her ears turned red. It felt weird.
Tobias caught her reaction and grinned, his eyes gleaming.
“What do you mean?” Kaia asked, frowning.
“Wiping your mouth,” Tobias said, dead serious.
That serious tone made Kaia feel like he’d taken advantage of her, but she had no idea how to get back at him. It was irritating.
Annoyed, she quit talking and got in the car, closing her eyes to rest.
Then Tobias handed her a cake box.
Kaia opened it and froze. Inside was her favorite tiramisu from her favorite shop.
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The place was insanely popular and made only a few each day. This flavor always sold out fast. Even if Tobias sent someone to line up early, it wouldn’t be easy to get.
“How’d you know I like this flavor?” she asked.
“I guessed,” Tobias said with a smile.
Kaia wasn’t buying it.
“It’s fresh. Eat it while it’s good,” he said.
She was still a little annoyed from earlier, but letting such a good tiramisu go to waste felt like a
crime.
She dug in, looking even happier than when she drank the yogurt.
“How’d the test go?” Tobias asked, frowning a little.
Kaia played it safe. “If nothing weird happened, I got a perfect score.”
Tobias rubbed his forehead. He thought about saying something but let it go. Even if she did badly, he could still help her. “Alright, go home and get some rest.”
Kaia knew he didn’t believe her, but she didn’t care. The results would speak for themselves.
Back home, Kaia rested a bit, then remembered something.
Her grandparents‘ birthday party was this weekend. They were huge fans of the famous artist Collin, whose paintings cost a fortune.
She decided that would be the perfect gift, and getting one would be easy for her.
Kaia called Samantha without a second’s hesitation.
Samantha picked up right away. “Why are you calling? Oh, I see. Are you free to teach me boxing? Where are you? I’ll come over right now!”
Hearing how eager she was, Kaia felt a little guilty. “I’ll teach you in a few days. I actually need your help with something”
Samantha perked up even more. “You need my help? Say the word! I’d walk through fire for you!”
“You don’t need to do anything crazy. I just want your grandpa to paint something for me. It’s my grandparents‘ birthday, and they love his work,” Kaia said.
“No problem. I’ve got you. What kind of painting?” Samantha asked.
*****
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Chapter 31
The weekend came fast. The Bennett family threw a big party.
Kaia walked in with her gift and was immediately surrounded by cousins.
55 vouchers
“Kaia, SAT scores came out today. How’d you do? What’s your score?” Phoebe, her second uncle’s daughter, asked, her voice dripping with mockery.
Kaia blinked–she’d totally forgotten the scores came out today.
It wasn’t that she didn’t care. The test had been so easy that she’d been focused on her research
instead.
When something was easy, she tended to forget about it.
“What score? Phoebe, you’re giving her too much credit. She always gets zeros,” Sienna, Kaia’s third uncle’s daughter, sneered, giving Kaia a disgusted look like Kaia was beneath her.
“I don’t think she’ll get a zero. Even guessing gets her a couple right,” Phoebe said.
“I bet she gets zeros,” Sienna said with a nasty smile.
Ruth heard all this and felt embarrassed. She stayed far away, pretending she didn’t notice Kaia getting ganged up on.
“Forget the SAT. Kaia, what did you get Grandma and Grandpa? We all already gave ours. Andrea gave them a fancy decoration worth around 30 thousand dollars,” Phoebe said.
“I’ve got something,” Kaia said, taking out the painting.
Before she could even unroll it, Sienna burst out laughing. “Don’t tell me you painted something yourself. That’s so cheap. People will think your family’s broke.”
Some guests nearby chuckled quietly.
Kaia ignored them and walked up to Melvin and Emma.
“Grandpa, Grandma, I wish you both a long and happy life,” she said, handing them the painting.
Melvin and Emma didn’t look happy. They’d heard every word the kids had said.
If Kaia really gave them one of her own paintings in front of everyone, it would be humiliating.
To them, Kaia was useless. They regretted ever bringing her back from the countryside. Even though Andrea wasn’t their real granddaughter, they’d pick her over Kaia any day.
“Uh, just put it over there,” Melvin said awkwardly.
Then a sweet–but–obviously–fake voice cut in, “Grandpa, this is Kaia’s gift from the heart. You should at least take a look, even if it’s not that great.”
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Chapter 32
